Man dies from overdose; Mother sues jail for negligence

On behalf of Law Offices of Judy Snyder posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

When a person is in jail, they still have a right to medical care. They should receive care for illnesses they have and injuries they suffer. If they are not treated appropriately, then it's possible that they could pass away.

When that happens, parents and family members may opt to pursue a claim against the hospital or staff member who was meant to treat the patient. In this case, a lawsuit was filed against the medical provider at the jail as well as the jail itself by a grieving mother.

Her son was inside a padded cell at Clackamas County Jail two years ago when he was suffering from a drug overdose. He died, but that's not the primary concern the woman had. Instead, she's focused on the fact that the jail nurses barely spent time with her son as he writhed in the cell. The jail workers sat and made unnecessary and crude comments about the man as he went through the overdose. He'd told them he took bath salts and methamphetamine.

The man's mother is accusing the jail of negligence for the workers' comments and the fact that nurses only stopped to check on the man for five minutes throughout the night. He died as a result of cardiac arrest and was found with no pulse. He was unresponsive and unconscious by the time the emergency team was called.

Any time someone is struggling with an overdose, they deserve help and care, not snide comments and to be left to suffer. If your loved one passes away as a result of negligence, you may also have a case.

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The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.